The invention relates to the field of cabinets and in particular to a construction for a cabinet that allows it to function as a concealed cabinet mounted into a wall between the studs. The hinge of the cabinet door cannot be seen by one who views the cabinet. The cabinet door may be decorated to appear as a mirror or picture to enhance the effect and discourage a would-be thief or burglar that the cabinet is nothing more than decorative.
It is thought that such a cabinet would be appreciated by home owners as a place for safekeeping valuables whose purpose cannot be known by merely visual inspection. To make such a cabinet whose true function is not readily discernible it is necessary to provide hinges that cannot be seen by the would-be thief. There are other cabinets such as U.S. Pat. No. 1,668,595 that are mounted into a wall and that have a door on a hinge that allows the door to open outward. However, it would be possible to view the hinge of this invention at an extreme angle, i.e., from the side and the burglar would then realize that this is a cabinet by sight.
Other prior art systems provide an outer hinge of such construction that the door would abut the outer frame of the cabinet structure when opened and thus make the cabinet useless or, at least, ineffective. Until the present invention; such a cabinet that has a door that opens to a large degree (almost 90 degrees) and whose hinges cannot be viewed has not been known.
It may be pointed out that such a cabinet as described herein does not need to be foolproof in order to carry cut it's intended function. While one could press upon the cabinet or carry out other procedures to determine if it is really a mirror this is not a concern here. Usually the burglar will not have the time to check this out. If the invention merely deceives the eye of the burglar upon his quick inspection this will confirm the belief that the cabinet is only a mirror or picture and the purpose will be achieved.